Like you
by Apherion
Summary: They worked together. They had their own secrets. Yet, they couldn’t figure out what it was that made them so alike. [AbelEsther] [AU]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: This is going to be the only disclaimer throughout this story. I do not own these wonderful characters. Please note that this is an Alternate Universe story.**

**Like You**

**By: Apherion**

Chapter 1

They worked together. They had their own secrets. Yet, they couldn't figure out what it was that made them so alike.

"Father, I have to see my cousin, Doreen. You see, she's expecting a visit from me."

"But…but you can't go," Father Abel Nightroad pleaded with her. The redheaded nun shook her head.

"I _have_ to otherwise she'll come looking for me," Esther said looking at the silver-headed man with wire-frame glasses.

"But…but…" he trailed off, looking around the room almost as if he was trying to come up with some sort of reason for her not to be able to go today. "You have to take me with you," he said almost desperately. She laughed.

"No, Father, you can manage yourself for one day without me being here," she smiled genially at him. After all, Father Nightroad was absolutely capable of being able to take care of himself…except for the not being able to find his glasses—which are always on top of his head. Except for the fact that walking was as much of an obstacle for him as flying was for her. Except that no matter how hard he tried not to, he couldn't seem to be able to take care of himself without her being right beside him. She sighed, talking herself into taking him along.

"All right," she caved before he could start begging. He smiled like a child whose mother had just given in to giving him candy before dinner.

"Great, I'll get the luggage," he smiled, crinkling his eyes. The happy look on his face reminded her why she liked being with him. No matter how hopeless he was, he was worth being with. She blushed, turning away from his view to hide her scarlet face. Recovering, she didn't have enough time to tell him to remember—

She winced when she heard the crash and shook her head. She ran towards the direction he went almost immediately.

"Father Nightroad!" She said aghast at the position he had gotten in. The poor man didn't see that the stairs were going down and inevitably tripped down a whole flight of stairs. She covered her mouth with her hands and rushed to his aid.

"Are you hurt?" She asked and he sat up belatedly, laughing.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine…just clumsy," he smiled still that cute crinkly-eyed smile. Her chagrin for him was poorly hidden, but Esther helped him to his feet.

"How about I'll get the luggage, you just get in the car. Can you manage that, Father?" She poked fun at him, returning his grin. He nodded, laughing still, and she sighed once again.

"It's like he can't stand on his own two feet without me beside him," she whispered to herself as she continued down the steps to the bottom floor for they're luggage, which hadn't been unpacked except for one day's outfit because they weren't staying in this rented space of a house for long.

She got on the right-hand side of the car, the driving side, so as she wouldn't have to fret for her life if Abel drove. A gloved hand cranked the car and both joined on the steering wheel. Her foot touched the gas pedal and they sped off through the rural streets of England.

The drive seemed to take forever. It didn't help with Father Nightroad's occasional 'are we there yet?' exclamations and several accompanying sighs. Esther just kept her eyes on the road making very small, small talk as she was best at driving when she wasn't distracted.

At last, they reached their destination of seeing Sister Esther's Cousin Doreen. Doreen was a sweet, elderly lady. She was round and pleasant, with rosy cheeks and kind, motherly eyes. True, her kids were all grown and married by now, but Doreen insisted on living in the country. Her husband had complied with her wishes, only to pass on a mere ten years after the move, which made Cousin Doreen's kids range ten to fifteen years older than Esther.

"Oh my word, is that Esther?" Doreen called joyfully, waving at her cousin. Doreen wasn't exactly a blood relative as Esther was orphaned at a young age, but Doreen took her in and somewhere along those lines Esther started calling her Cousin Doreen.

"How is work for you?" Doreen asked, relieving Esther of her bags. Though elderly, Doreen was healthy and strong, no matter how plump she appeared. Esther exchanged a temporary look with Father Nightroad.

Their job was indeed a bit awkward to converse about. As they seemed to run into vampires and other unholy creatures while they went about collecting data for the church, it was really difficult to edit the stories. Of course, the Vatican knew about the oddities of vampirism and witchcraft and lycanthropy, but Doreen's mind was innocent to the fact of such monsters living in the world. Esther thought it would be a horrible circumstance to rob Doreen her solace that the world was safe.

"Oh, it's quite interesting, but the Vatican would rather our silence be kept, to prevent unwanted attention," Abel answered before Esther could say anything. She smiled and nodded, liking his story better than hers.

"If you're anxious to rest a bit, I've readied rooms, if you would follow me Father," she smiled politely and he inclined his head to Doreen. He didn't seem suspicious that Doreen knew about him. In fact, Esther spoke plenty enough to satiate Doreen's thirst for gossip when they talked about Abel.

As soon as Father Nightroad was able to settle in his room, Doreen led Esther to her old room.

"Was that the man you told me about? The one that was _extremely_ 'graceful'?" Esther laughed and nodded. "Well, he is very good-looking nonetheless." Esther blushed when Doreen said that. Who wouldn't though?

"Father Abel is a very respectable and honorable man," Sister Esther said, slightly abashed and trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Of course he is," Doreen nodded in agreement, but her tone suggested otherwise. After all, Esther couldn't blame her. Nowadays, even if the man _was_ a priest, a man and a woman being together without being married was questionable.

"Nothing is going on between us," Esther said firmly to her care-giver of thirteen years. Doreen was helping her unpack her suitcase.

"I didn't say anything to incriminate the two of you. Though, it is _not_ in your best interest, in my own opinion."

"Good, keep it that way." Esther was shocked at her own audacity. "Oh, Doreen, I'm so sorry! I did not mean to sound so sharp!" Doreen laughed lightly, with the laugh of a woman who understood all.

"No problems, dear. What I mean is that you and Father Nightroad are both reasonably attractive and that the two of you being together couldn't possibly set a great public example, with all the hysteria about Pope Peter the seventeenth with Madame Flanders…" Doreen trailed of sagely. _Everyone_ knew about the scandal that had occurred only two years ago. True, Esther and Abel have been working together for the church since Esther had turned eighteen—just barely months before the incident.

Doreen finished helping Esther unpack before starting on dinner, leaving Esther to sit on her bed and watch the sun slowly sink below the horizon. A knock alleviated her brooding thoughts, but when she faced the doorway, her heart jumped into her throat and pulsated like mad. Esther's gasp of surprise was enough to make Father Nightroad concerned and worried.

"I'm terribly sorry to have frightened you, Sister Esther; I did not mean to alarm you." His sincerity was always impeccably real. She couldn't help but smile, choking further still on her breathing. She wasn't going to risk talking and her voice cracking.

"May I sit with you?" He asked, hesitantly. The thoughts of her and Doreen's conversation echoed defiantly in her head, but she nodded to answer his request. After all, who _could_ deny Father Abel Nightroad anything he desired? He had the role of a male 'damsel in distress' down and he was the champion as well. Her throat constricted her air supply for a second because she remembered all the times he had saved her because _she_ had made a blunder.

"The sunset is beautiful today, isn't it Esther?" His glasses reflected her image when she went to look into his eyes because of the glare the sun was causing. Today's sunset was no different; they always liked to watch them. They always watched them together. She nodded as his hand covered hers. She blinked at him, wondering if he had truly touched her hand intentionally. A moment later she realized his hand had yet to retract from hers. Intentional, she thought, trying to continue breathing.

Just outside the room, footsteps came to their attention and immediately they moved away from each other. Doreen must not have seen anything, Esther convinced herself as she finished washing up for dinner. She would have said something to me by now. They blessed the food and began to eat.

"How long have the two of you worked together?" Doreen asked, and Esther wanted to hang her head in embarrassment, vainly hoping that Abel wouldn't answer, but she knew he would.

"Two years, since she was eighteen," he replied easily. "This is exceptional food, Ms."—Doreen however cut him off.

"Doreen, please, I insist." He smiled graciously.

"Doreen," he said, giving her the smile that Esther had grown accustomed to.

"So you two have been together since…" Doreen trailed unobtrusively.

"Yes, but make no mistake…nothing's…" Abel was getting flustered, like Esther. Doreen laughed at both reactions.

"Of course, of course…I would never try to make the accusation, but I just didn't want to intrude…" She played it off very well in Esther's opinion. How that woman does that is a mystery to me, she thought, sipping on the water she was given, while Father Nightroad spoke.

"You aren't, it's just that I don't think Esther even knows about—" Esther choked on her water. Coughing, she slammed her fist on the table and yelled at Abel.

"Excuse…me?" She spluttered, enraged. "How would you even know that?" She remembered her _lovely_ diaries she kept until being sent off with Father Abel Nightroad. Curse them to hell, she thought, now realizing that he must have read them.

"I…I uh…" Abel tried to smile it off, thinking Esther would be deterred from her anger.

"You read them, didn't you?" Esther accused ungracefully. She was still coughing up water. Doreen was forgotten in the midst of this verbal battle.

"So what if I did?" Abel said, retorting back just like a younger brother might, trying to antagonize his older sister into attacking so he can call Mom (Doreen in this case) to his rescue.

"You"—she yelled, but she prevented herself from using a curse. She so badly wished to call him something though.

"Children, please," Doreen said, her eyes dancing with mirth. Esther blue gaze glowered at Abel for the remainder of dinner as she tried to remember what all she had _written_. She knew she had something in the about who she'd be the charge of. What I wrote, she thought fretfully, oh my god. She felt her heart-rate increase exponentially. She excused herself from the dining room, unable to handle being so close to Abel Nightroad.

She lay down, hoping to have sleep overcome her, but it evaded her like the elusive lightning bug.

The door to her room opened noisily and Doreen stepped inside, in a nightgown while matching slippers. It must've been one o'clock in the morning judging by the moon. How could Doreen stay up so late? Insomnia was Esther's first guess, but she knew better than that as Doreen never suffered from it. Doreen must've been waiting for Abel to go to sleep because she needed to talk to her about something.

"Doreen," Esther said, sitting up and making room for the older woman on the bed.

"Esther," Doreen said, smiling wanly at her, sitting down. "I've wanted to talk to you, but Father Abel just wouldn't sleep," she admitted, yawning to emphasize the truth. I knew it, Esther thought.

"What is it?" Esther asked quietly, following Doreen's whispering example.

"Well…Esther, I really would feel better if I knew your feelings toward Father Nightroad. I feel as though you're withholding information from me." Esther sighed, knowing that Doreen's sharpness would've caught on no matter what Esther had done. It was scary how Doreen seemed to be able to read her mind.

"I…I don't know what I feel for him." Doreen shook her head, her dark brown eyes fixed on Esther's blue.

"Don't tell half-truths. I raised you, I'm allowed a mother's right, am I not?" Esther sighed, tucking a stray strand of red hair behind her pale-colored ear. Doreen swiped at her own brown—flaked with grey—hair.

"I like him Doreen, I like him a lot. Yet, I don't know how he feels about me. I don't think he feels the same. I mean, there are times when I think that he will actually hold me like a woman, but then it's like I'm a little kid again and I'm untouchable." Confessing this feeling somehow made Esther feel _better_.

"I know what you mean, child. I felt the same way about my husband—may he rest in peace—when I was your age. Didn't know how he felt, seemed to try and convince me he loved me while he seemed to say 'I'm no good for you'. Somehow though, I got up enough courage to tell him how I felt and that I didn't like being drug around for the roller coaster of emotions that he was putting me on. After doing that, I realized that even if he rejected me, I could live on without regrets because at least I knew I had tried." Actually, all of what Doreen was saying made sense. Why not tell him how I feel? She thought decisively. Because he'll tell you that you're too young for him; the negative voice gave rebuttal. Still, she pressed on in her head, trying to stay positive. I have to try.

"I wish that he would just be less cryptic. I feel as though I'm in a maze when I'm around him." Doreen looked at her.

"Explain that one for me, I've gotten along in years," Doreen smiled and Esther nodded, not smiling.

"I say it feels like a maze, but it's more like a maze with combination codes. I have to say everything _just right_ and I have to do everything _just right_ to unlock a part of the maze that gets me closer to him, but if I say one thing or do something that he doesn't like or…something, it's like the whole thing is reset and I have to start over, like a game. And each time, the combinations change, and I can't figure him out." Esther sighed into her hands. Doreen rubbed her back gently.

"Sweetheart, I know it's frustrating, but…keep trying, eventually you'll win the game. Besides, whoever said it didn't take work to continue a relationship lied…a lot," Doreen smiled and removed got up from the bed.

"Goodnight, Doreen," Esther said, actually feeling tired now. Yawning, she got under the blankets and laid her head on her pillow, closing her eyes.

"Goodnight, Esther," Doreen said, closing the door completely shut behind her as she walked out.

In the shadows, a sliver of moonlight caught the lens of a pair of glasses, the eyes hidden behind the glare wide with astonishment. Neither Doreen or Esther knew that he was there, and in consequence, he heard what it was that Doreen did not wish to speak to Esther about until he, Abel Nightroad, had 'gone to sleep'.

* * *

**_TBC..._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Like You**

**By: Apherion**

Chapter 2

The next morning, Abel pretended that he hadn't heard anything last night. Esther and Doreen caught up with each other and he, Father Abel Nightroad, stayed out of it. Instead of trying to be a nuisance to Sister Esther, he confined himself in the room Doreen was allowing him to stay in.

"_I say it feels like a maze, but it's more like a maze with combination codes. I have to say everything just right and I have to do everything just right to unlock a part of the maze that gets me closer to him, but if I say one thing or do something that he doesn't like or…something, it's like the whole thing is reset and I have to start over, like a game. And each time, the combinations change, and I can't figure him out."_

He bit his lip, sitting on his bed, watching the sun. Esther, he thought. He touched the cross necklace Esther had given him as a present for being the one she was assigned to two years ago. Sighing heavily, he fell back on the pillows.

"Esther," he whispered, pursing his lips. He took off his glasses and set them on the bedside table. I just need to stop thinking. And so, his eyes closed, but instead of a dreamless state he usually acquired, he dreamed.

He saw a smaller form in white and blue attire that looked oddly familiar. The person in front of him continued walking, unaware of his presence, and he followed. There was snow falling in tiny flakes from above, and he could hear the person's feet crunching in the snow that was heavily laden on the ground. Somehow, the person wasn't able to hear his footsteps, and so he continued to go behind the person.

His eyes saw a pair of pale hands pulling back the hood of the cloak the person was wearing and stared at the back of a startling red head. He knew that hair too. Esther, he thought, watching as she stopped in the snow.

"Father," she whispered, and he thought he had been caught, but no, she hadn't turned back to look at him. She was looking at something on the ground. "No…" she shook her head, "Abel." She knelt down to whatever she was looking at. "I miss you, you know? You were always there for me and," she sniffed, like she was on the verge of crying. "And the one moment I couldn't protect myself…you… You didn't have to…you know?" And she was crying. She didn't say anything, but she cried silent tears.

He watched for a while, smelling her tears rolling down her cheeks, he knelt down behind her and wrapped his arms around her much smaller form. Esther gasped and struggled against him.

"Esther," he whispered.

"Father…?" she asked, no longer fighting his arms around her.

"Father!" He started, Esther's voice drawing him back to the world of consciousness. "How long have you been asleep?" She reprimanded him as he sat up and put on his glasses.

"You know it's not polite to barge into someone's room while they are having a nap." He was refined about his speech, his dream still disturbing his mind—as well as the conversation he had eavesdropped on last night. Esther blushed but continued,

"You've slept nearly the whole day! It is six o'clock and Doreen and I haven't seen you out of your room the entire time!" He flinched at how harsh she sounded.

"I've been…thinking," he said, his tone low.

"Thinking with your eyes closed, more like," Esther said scathingly. Abel looked at her, but didn't smile.

"Esther…" he pursed his lips, trying to think of how he should say it. There was no perfect way to do it either.

"What, Father?" She didn't seem in the mood, angry with him for his absence for practically the whole day. "Do you realize I have been with Doreen from sunrise to sunset without interruption—save for bathroom visits?" He almost smiled, but he was still trying to pad what he was about to confess to her.

"Esther…" he stated calmly, then sighed. "I heard everything you told Doreen last night." He wasn't looking at her when he said it, rather looking out the window. The sun was almost completely out of view, rays of pink just slightly above the horizon, but unable to obscure the blackness that was quickly covering the landscape. He heard Esther's breathing hitch and felt her collapse on the bed.

"You didn't," she breathed, her tone frightened. He got up from the bed, still looking away from her. He looked outside the room for a moment before shutting the door, knowing that Doreen was downstairs, asleep in her room. Once the door was shut, he turned back to look at her on his bed.

"I did," his tone was solemn and he stayed standing, not returning to the bed where Esther was now sitting, staring at him. Those beautiful blue eyes wide with shock and horror. He leaned his back against the wall, looking straight ahead of him. He smelled saline.

"Esther," he whispered, turning his head to look at her wiping away at her tears. She was trying in vain to stem the flow of tears with her right hand and she sniffed continually. She stood shakily to her feet, walking carefully towards the door. He grabbed her left arm as she attempted to pass him by.

"Where are you going?" He asked softly, watching her behind his glasses with adoration.

"You don't feel the same…so I'll go…" he could hear how heart-broken she was. He stood up, still holding her left arm in his left hand.

"Esther," he shook his head. She looked up at him, red-nosed, red-faced, and red-eyed, her hand dropping from her face. His unoccupied hand caressed her face with the lightest touch, wiping away the tears that were missed by her hand. "I never said you could leave."

He leaned down into her, tilting her chin up towards him with his hand. He paused for a moment, exchanging his grip on her arm to wrap his around her waist. He moved his hand from her chin to support the back of her neck.

He pressed his lips against her gently, forming his lips around hers. His eyes closed as he pressed himself against her, savoring the taste of her lips. She collapsed in his arms and he broke the kiss, alarmed.

"Esther," he whispered, caressing her cheek again. Her eyes fluttered open, but looked away from him, ashamed. "Esther… Are you all right?" He asked concerned about her well-being; she had fainted during a kiss after all!

She looked down, her red hair cascading over her face, blocking it from view. He used his hand to tuck the red locks behind one of her ears, and then tilted her chin so she'd be looking at him. She closed her eyes.

"Esther," he said more firmly. Still, she didn't open them. "Esther…" he let her go and she stumbled without the extra support. Just light-headed, he thought with relief, catching her before she fell, putting his hands on her shoulders to help steady her. Her head was down, once more allowing her face to become hidden behind the red tresses.

"Father," she said and he could hear her tears. He could feel her shaking underneath his hands.

"Esther, are you afraid?" She shook her head, still not looking at him. "Then what is wrong?" She started crying. She shook with sobs, sniffling, trying to stop, but to no avail. He pulled her into him, embracing her against his chest. He rested his cheek on top of her head.

"Shhh," he whispered to her, holding her closer to him. He felt her arms encircle his waist, and her tears began to soak through his clothes, touching his skin. "Esther, are you all right?" He felt her shake her head against his chest.

"What is wrong then Esther? I cannot help you if I do not know what is wrong." She choked mid-sob and she pulled back from him.

"This…this is wrong. I didn't think you do…but you do…and now that you do…I don't know if I do…and if I don't…then what was wrong with me…but what if I do…then am I just as wrong…or is this too twisted…or maybe its right and denying is wrong…?" She talked herself into silence, and Abel began to laugh.

"Great, you think it's a joke! You bloody…" he cupped a hand over her mouth so as she wouldn't wake up Doreen.

"Esther," he hissed, "you mustn't forget we are in Doreen's house and that she is asleep downstairs!" Esther whimpered but nodded. "Now, I wasn't taking what you said as a joke, Esther. I was merely laughing because a woman's mind is so temperamental and there are too many 'what ifs' filling the blank spaces." She would've protested here had his hand not been preventing her from speaking.

"Esther, don't say anything when I remove my hand from your mouth, all right?" She closed her eyes and nodded. "Good," and he took back his hand. She looked up at him, frozen almost. He let his hand touch her face, stroking it tenderly.

"Father…" she whispered, breaking their deal. He leaned into her, his face just barely touching hers.

"Yes," he replied, his lips brushing across hers as he spoke. She shivered as his arm wrapped once more around her waist. He could tell her breathing was sporadic and he could hear her heart thudding radically in her chest.

"…Abel…" she breathed, her lips caressing his in turn. He closed the gap between them, unable to control himself. Claiming her lips once more, savoring her flavor for the second time tonight. She did not stop him. He broke the kiss in one fluid movement, just wanting to talk with her—or allow her to leave.

"Esther," he started, walking over to the bed and sitting on it. He motioned to her to come and join him; she did. "I know it's difficult for me to understand, so why don't you tell me? I won't ridicule you about it, as you know how I feel about that." He could see her sitting there, considering her options. Her mind was working furiously to contemplate and weigh out each option's pros and cons. He smiled slightly when he saw her sigh in resignation.

"I…it's just that…the diaries…" she was incoherently speaking words at random. He honestly didn't think she could hear herself as she continued to babble in partial sentences that made sense only because he knew what the diaries had contained in them.

"…and I didn't think the feelings were returned…until now…" he snapped back from his reverie, looking into her blue, blue eyes.

"You're absolutely right, you know?" He said to her, taking her hand and holding it to his heart. Her eyes focused on their hands and her hand touching his chest without her say so. He noticed that her breathing was started to stagnate again.

Still holding her hand to his heart with his left hand, he took his right to caress her face so gently Esther was shivering under the tickling touch. He smiled when she sighed and leaned heavily into his stroking her cheek. He removed his hand from her face before it became too much for the both of them, and her self-control would break before his. Females were very susceptible to emotions and physical contact and just the right words, and he would not be the one responsible for taking advantage of her weakness.

"Father…" she said, her voice an octave higher than normal, throat clenched from the lack of air to permeate her lungs. He brushed his lips against her cheek, smiling. He helped her to her feet, steadying her as she swayed like she was a drunk, though she was far from being hedonistic, just intoxicated by his sweet caress.

"You need some sleep, Esther, we'll talk more tomorrow." His somber voice was contradicting his light-hearted facial expressions. Esther nodded and let her hand linger on his face.

"Will I be able to talk to you?" Her words were difficult to understand because he had already said they would talk tomorrow. He blinked bemusedly at her.

"Yes"—he started, but was interrupted; her fingers had covered his mouth.

"No, will you allow me to be this _close_ tomorrow?" So that's what she meant, he thought and he nodded, taking away her hand and entwining it in his.

"I will let you be," he pulled her into him so intimately there wasn't even a fraction of an inch between them, "this close." Esther's face was filled with the reddest of pigments. "Now, Esther, please leave…or else…I won't let you." She understood what he meant by that and eased her way out of his grasp.

"Goodnight, Father," she said, smiling at him, still with patches of red splaying across her cheeks, her blue eyes were shining bright as the moon.

"Goodnight, Esther," he replied, still smiling, even as she turned to leave his room. He watched her make her way down the stairs, her body moving with such grace and elegance that he kept berating himself for his thoughts carrying him to how the night could've gone (as wrong as it would've been). He sighed and turned to lie on his bed, looking up at the ceiling, thinking about Esther before finally his brain shut off and he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**_TBC..._**


End file.
